Synopsis

Amid the desolate remains of a once-thriving city, only the rumbling of a motorbike breaks the cold winter silence. Its riders, Chito and Yuuri, are the last survivors in the war-torn city. Scavenging old military sites for food and parts, the two girls explore the wastelands and speculate about the old world to pass the time. Chito and Yuuri each occasionally struggle with the looming solitude, but when they have each other, sharing the weight of being two of the last humans becomes a bit more bearable. Between Yuuri's clumsy excitement and Chito's calm composure, their dark days get a little brighter with shooting practice, new books, and snowball fights on the frozen battlefield.

Among a scenery of barren landscapes and deserted buildings, Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou tells the uplifting tale of two girls and their quest to find hope in a bleak and dying world.

Strolling through a grey and barren wasteland, two girls are on a journey. Rations are their only food, each other's company their only comfort and a Kettenkrad motorbike and a protect rifle their only partners. This is a story about a post-apocalyptic future, cultures lost in war and appreciating the little things in life.

Few future settings display the thoughtfulness present in Girl’s Last Tour: war has, multiple times, left its mark on Earth and humanity. The numerous layers of the forsaken and metallic city tell tales of many civilizations long gone; their technology gradually grows more sophisticated and the cityscape more complex by the layer.
Their different religious beliefs, or lack thereof, as well as their different perceptions of beauty are ingrained in them: some show idealistic symmetry spread evenly throughout, others are dominated by religious symbols resembling a progressed Christianity. However, their god seems more like an alien creature possibly playing a central role in mankind’s long history of war…

The themes and background of the show allow for contemplation and its war-ridden lands give ground for cynical criticism of war, but Girl’s Last Tour is not at all about nihilism, the cruelty of war or the dangers of technological advancement. With overpowering optimism and gratitude for life, it avoids dwelling on many of its philosophically potent and open-ended questions through the sheer simplicity of its appreciation for the here and now; there is solace in solitude and beauty in company.

It’s hard not to get swept up in the show’s pensive mood, but it is near impossible not to fall in love with the protagonists' fun antics: Yuuri and Chito have amazing chemistry and partaking in their intimacy is a truly soothing experience. The two share a heartwarming bond of love and trust and remind one of simpler days; to take the role of an onlooker is to embrace a heartwarming nostalgia.

Chito is the duo’s brain: she is literate and reliable. Over the years, she has learned to work around Yuuri’s shortcomings and deal with her eccentricities. At times, her diplomatic mindset clashes with Yuuri’s air-headedness. However, she has no issue striking back should it get overbearing, for she knows it’s the only way to get through to her dense companion.

In comparison, Yuuri might at first seem like an unpleasant person. She is a glutton, unreliable and at parts overbearingly annoying - but actually a very caring individual. She keeps looking out for Chito and ensures her safety, she is sorry when Chito is hurt and does her best to express her guilt. It is not only her shortcomings that need to be worked around: her partner has serious fear and submits to panic at the blink of an eye. Fortunately, Yuuri always stays supportive of her.

Rusty pipe systems, snow-clad plains filled with weapons of war and desolate temples - the show’s landscape is empty and its designs range from simple to highly complex. The dark, barely saturized, grey color palette only changes during dreams and revelations. Unlike one might initially assume, the empty and wistful world radiates a romantic feeling. While it may be devoid of nature and has no ecosystem to speak of, the countless tales told by the cityscape itself more than make up for it. The bubbly moe character designs help alleviate the central juxtaposition of the cold world and the comforting company of the two protagonists (and whomever they might meet along the way).

Such sparse environment rarely allows for much movement to take place, but through dosated usage of CG the show enables engaging camerawork and alleviates the overall experience. The CG itself does unfortunately not hold up to the gorgeous and detailed look of the hand-drawn backgrounds but it in turn allows the explosive scenes to benefit from the momentum achievable through animation - and they look great!

The show’s solid visuals are accompanied by both upbeat and melancholic music. In insert songs, the vocalist creates a great feeling of departure encompassing an euphoric mood and a grieving goodbye. On the other hand, the Opening and Ending songs excel through their sheer musical simplicity. They embrace modern electronic music and pop culture (the moonwalk and even dabbing), depicting and enhancing the fun shenanigans of the two girls and their endless journey.

Due to its metallic landscape, the soundscape of the show mostly consists of industrial sounds: petrol engines, gunfire and cold, metallic echoes dominate, and their prevalence is only trumped by the two girls’ dialogue.

Girls’ Last Tour is lighthearted and emotionally poignant; it excels through simplicity and thoughtfulness, but never dwells on the latter. The juxtaposition of its thematically dense but desolate cityscape and the intimacy of the main duo create a melancholically wholesome experience and make it one of the best shows of the year.

Ok, so it seems like i am the only guy in this entire site that didn't like this show (at least in the review section), so i fell the need to write why this show is so terrible.

Also, this is my first review in the site and i'm not a native english speaker, so sorry if the structure of this review seems garbage to you.

Firstly, i want to say that i was very excited to see this show when it came in the seasonal chart, i didn't know how it whould be, but even if it was just a generic slice of life show, it
would be interesting just by the premise, bonus it was made by White Fox, that is one of my favorite studios.

What i got was really dissapointing: a show about literelly nothing, most of the show is just these two girls walking and visiting some unisteressing place, and that is it, i wouldn't have a problem with that if the show had something interssing that could haddle it to be entertaining, but... what this show have of entertaining?

Story? None of it, most of the show is episodic and there is barely any worldbuilding. Good comedy? Nah, there is barely any comedy at all and the few jokes are just Chito punching Yuu. Cute girls suffering shit? Meh, the girls act like the fact that they are the last two humans in the entire earth are just normal business. Some philosophic and 2deep4u shit? Nope, none of the stories have any meaning at all.

Not saying that a anime MUST do some of these things to be good, these are just some ideas of things that Shuumatsu could do to be at least enterteining, but shuumatsu does none of it and does nothing that i didn't say too, it's just two girls living, nothing is fun, must of the stories barelly have a conflict, nothing has any purpose at all, everything is just a great piece of nothing.

And bonus, this show is slow as hell, it drags a in a lot of things just to fill that 23 minutes mark, like bake a loaf for entire 2 minutes or take 3 minutes with a montage that is pure filler, and all those facts combined result in to the most boring show in this entire year, i think i could not watch it all if i didn't watch it weekly, cause must of the time i was just waiting for the episode end so i could do something better.

Another thing that could have saved this show would have good characters to handle the boredom, but that brings in another problem that is the characters are more bland then a piece of paper, they're uncharismatic, boring and do not stand out, and this wouldn't be a problem in a normal show, but this are the ONLY 2 characters in the entire show, you can't just be this lazy and expect the viewer to give a shit about then in this way.

I could also talk why this ending is forced and totally garbage, but spoilers are agains't the Review Guidelines, so if you want to know, ask in my comments.

In conclusion, this show is just a waste of premise and it's a shame that such talented people did work in this, i hope WF give us a better work next time.

Imagine you’re trekking into a dense forest with your friends. The sun is going down and it’s getting late. Then, you hear strange unknown noises coming from all directions around you. You check your phone and it has no signal. You can’t find the compass in your pocket and there’s no food left. Now, you and your friends just realized…you’re lost. You’re in trouble.

I don’t know how many of you have been in this type of situation before but watching Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou brings a similar feeling. The idea of being lost in an unknown place evokes a sort of uneasiness. The constant fear of
danger, feeling restless, and hoping to survive is what really attracted me to this show. To me, Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou (Girls’ Last Tour) is much more than just a world-end journey. It’s a show that combines slice of life with post-apocalyptic themes for the sake of survival. Do they need a reason beyond that? Not really. Yet, it doesn’t really need more to sell its masterful storytelling.

To be clear, this anime takes place in the aftermath of a vague apocalyptic event. What do I mean by vague? It basically means that the anime doesn’t fully explain the details of what happened in the past. It only leaves behind details with places, objects, and symbols that characters will discover. In the meantime, this anime does a solid job at world building. Essentially, their world is dead. It’s devoid of almost all life. What’s interesting to note is that the structures, gadgets, and weapons looks realistic enough to relate to our world. These range from food factories, libraries, tall towers, and among others. Even some of the weapons that appears in the show looks realistic such as the guns and iconic tank that the two characters operate. Throughout this anime, we can only interpret the various mysteries of their world. To be honest, that’s what makes it intriguing. The anime doesn’t give true answers and leaves the viewers to theorize with their own imaginations. “What happened to this world?” is a big question mark I’m sure most viewers will formulate throughout the show.

If you’re invested into a linear storytelling of complexity, turn back now. This show isn’t to please a certain demographic but instead relies on its creativity to do the storytelling. Every episode is an adventure of its own as Chito and Yuuri makes new discoveries during their journey. At times, it almost feels like playing an open world game like Assassin’s Creed Origins or Fallout. The vast open world of unknown leaves behind so much to explore and honestly, it’s what bought the most interest for me. From cultural symbols to mysterious ruins, it’s a show that carries itself without a plot doing the talking. Our two heroines, Chito and Yuuri walk the earth without an end goal and it’s dazzling at how much interest they bring in.

Of course, Chito and Yuuri are the main characters that ultimately connects the show together. Without these two, there wouldn’t be a journey. Watching Chito and Yuuri together really shows that the two has a unique relationship. Chito’s calm composure balances out Yuuri’s easygoing personality and two makes a dynamic approach to their survival. For instance, Chito has the skill to drive Kettenkrad (their spider-like tank). She’s the one usually making decisions thanks to her literate skills. On the other hand, Yuuri has the knowledge to operate firearms, a skill essentially for their survival. The two make an interesting team in that although they don’t always agree, they’re able to collaborate to survive. However, a big part that attracted me about the duo is their character chemistry. There really isn’t many characters in this show so watching these two connect really brings the best out of each other. There are episodes that show their imaginative creativity and make the most of their situation. Despite their current condition, Chito and Yuuri enjoys each other’s company and even has fun when the opportunities present itself. Their small talk is also meaningful that even includes some philosophical dialogues from time to time. Still, this show does introduce a few characters although they only make sparse appearances. Kanazawa and Ishii are human beings that our main duo will encounter. Their encounter with them brings an interesting side and provokes a question such as “are there others like them out there?” Their role in the show is also interesting to note as they help each other to survive while accomplishing their own goals. Later on in the show, there’s also another character introduced although it swings into the otherworldly category.

You would think a show like this is about despair and sadness. No. If you take notice, you can easily discover that Chito and Yuuri lives their daily lives happily. Their journey takes them to ruined cities as they scavenge for supplies. They even hope to make memories from this journey with the help of a camera. Additionally, there are episodes that puts these two into ludicrous positions such as being drunk. I can also honestly confess that the show is emotionally appealing on different levels. Chito and Yuuri’s relationship give the impression that no matter how desolate a world can be, there’s hope and joy. Adapting a show like this really takes skill and I am very impressed by the craft the creators applied. As a manga reader, I’m also glad that the anime captured the mood of the show throughout each episode. It’s mostly faithful and really does a solid job at selling its ideas.

White Fox has been experimenting with a variety of genres recently. To make this anime really needed effort as adapting a desolate world is no easy task. Thankfully, I can say that they did a stellar job at adapting the visual quality of the show. The atmospheric feel really hits the marks with designs of the city ruins, cultural objects, and even weapons. Kettenkrad is a tank that people can relate to our modern world while the weapons such as rifles are visually realistic. The most interesting part is perhaps the character designs of Chito and Yuuri. The two look like characters from a cartoon. Some viewers might not be too keen on accepting them but it should be recognized that they are more complex than they appear. This is expressed through their character expressions. There’s no succinct way to put it but the two really draws a line between abnormal and normalcy. Their expressions evoke emotions from laughter, sadness, and curiosity. To note, there’s also some fan service but viewers should overlook that as those parts stand as a foil to the despair of this desolate world. You’d think these girls would be dressed like they are child soldiers read to go to war but in reality, they just live life.

I can’t say this enough but the soundtrack is stunningly beautiful. Music composer Kenichiro Suehiro shows his craft through the simplistic yet very convincing OST for this show. The melancholic tone with the eerie vibe every episode gives off matches perfect with the setting. Not to mention, I’m also impressed by the avant-garde style of the theme songs. It’s unique with a catchy tone that’s hard to miss. Finally, praise should be given to the two main heroines. It only took one episode to convince myself that Chito and Yuuri’s voices matches perfectly with their personalities.

I’ve watched this show several times during its duration and it still feels like I only scratched the surface. Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is a rare anime that took on a peculiar premise and turned it into a near masterpiece. It has the ability to get viewers invested without an overlaying plot. The characters are deceptively complex. With a world setting filled with mystery, it’s no wonder you can find yourself lost. Don’t worry though. It won’t be like one of those trekking trips where you get drenched in fear. No, it’s a show that breathes life into such a post-apocalyptic world.

We can be in the presence of a deja-vu, an anime about children (I used that words before). Could it surprise us as Made in the Abyss did? Will we feel empathy with those kids in a post-apocalyptic world? The truth is that we can be surprised one more time.

We live our lives hastily surrounded by numerous technological devices. We consider that our daily tasks, such as eating and taking a shower, are "habitual," and we never asked ourselves what would happen if life change due to destruction and a terrible war. What would happen if we lose those things? What would we
do to survive? Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou takes us to a time where civilization disappeared because of war. The only memory of the existence of the culture lies in the numerous ruins of cities and the devices that once served humans. The animation captivates us with an incredible story of friendship, trust and the constant struggle to survive. Day after day the actions of two girls are a ray of hope in a desolate world.

The story 9

The world is a hostile, challenging and sometimes somber place. The constant struggle between nations led to chaos and destruction where countless lives were lost. The war took to oblivion the meaning of the civilization that once existed. The bonds of this condemned world are reflected in the few survivors who day after day must be scavengers to obtain a supply that can prolong their existence in a dead world and thus give meaning to their lives

Two girls, Chito and Yuuri, wander in the middle of the solitude, the ruins and the deteriorated structures of what was once a society. In the same way, they struggle to find their daily sustenance. A simple ration bar could be a treasure, a place to bathe would be a longed-for dream. In summary, all the dreams changed for the constant struggle to survive. Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou's story has an incredible context that could make you remember writings from Martin Heidegger and Jean-Paul Sartre that talk about human existentialism. In the same way, the story leads this duo to question about life, death and human nature.

These girls have dreams, feelings, fears that are exposed in each episode and are perceived by the spectators. They transform a simple rain into a musical festival and maintain a high level of optimism that we can observe in the various actions, games, and jokes that they make throughout the plot. However, you can ask yourself if one day you will find an answer to what happened to the world and if these girls will live long enough to grow and have a happy life if there is one.

The setting of Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou is excellent. The anime portrays the scars of a war that happened a while ago. Abandoned buildings, rusty pipelines that vanish in the shade as the last sign of life and in the midst the survivors. Elements such as the environment show the catastrophic scenario that these girls have to endure in order to survive day after day. Maybe those details add more realism to the story.

Something you can notice is the constant need to move, climb and reach higher levels. We can compare that world with a spiral without an apparent end. What will they find in the higher levels? What difficulties will appear? Moreover, the world is full of mysteries, one of them is the reason for the war, another the "statues" that arise during the adventure that perhaps are part of a higher purpose and a camera that keeps the records of the lost memories.

The most exciting part is how the information is delivered to the viewers. The story advances with these girls and the audience advances with them. The viewer is an active part of the story since it depends on these girls and is not a simple observer. The story has good pacing it has a lovely narrative that will keep you hooked until the end.

Sometimes, for a lot of spectators is difficult to sympathize with children or to find an animation about children engaging. However, this duo maintains the innocence of their age no matter what problems they have had. They still act like little girls in a devastated world. Yes, I know that, under certain circumstances, they must make decisions as adults, but I liked that they still have dreams, that they question everything and that they want to discover new things. In other words, they are not adults, Chito and Yuuri still have a childhood to live. For example, I will always remember when Yuuri tried to draw Chito in the diary. That kind of moments matches the innocence and youth of the characters that sooner or later will have to mature. Finally, the series highlights several ideas such as friendship, trust, the need to be together to survive. What would they do if one of them were in danger near death?

Pitifully, the story does not conclude entirely. Maybe we will need to wait some time to see a full conclusion. However, the final episode could give you a partial completion where the emotions (sadness, love) were present. It will reveal some mysteries and facts that we were suspecting.

Characters 9

The most delightful couple of the season. Chito and Yuuri could be very different, but they care for each other. Moreover, they are in a constant fight to survive, but they maintain the innocence of a child that isn't corroded by the war or any other event.

Chito. She is the brain of the group, she takes smart decisions but also is very fragile and has some fears. She likes to read and writes a journal. Also, she keeps the duo working for a higher cause, surviving or maybe feeding Yuuri.

Yuuri. She is the muscle and the comedian of the group also is a good shooter. You can see her as Chito's guardian. Her humor is fantastic she can make us forget about that desolated world with her actions and jokes. For example, it was hilarious when Chito comment to Kanazawa "she burns others books," and Yuuri's expression was pretty amusing.

Art 8

Each episode offers excellent detail and artistic quality. However, some CGI can be observed in some camera angles (mostly on the Kettenkrad motorbike), but they are not so strange and do not damage the narrative. Also, the series has an intelligent use of lighting. You can feel that the world is gone. The light is contrasted each scene showing the designs where the decadent world (rusty pipes), abandoned machinery, weapons. The camera angles used in the scenes are correct and keep the eyes occupied in the critical parts of the narrative and the main characters.

The characters' design is not very detailed. Moreover, they are a bit simple, they follow a chibi art, for some persons they have a mocking style, but I liked it in general, and it helps to have a better idea of ​​the personalities of the main characters.

Sound 9

The sound is pretty amazing. I am a bit amazed by the score; it can compete with Made in the Abyss. Also, the track rises the climax of each episode. For example, the central theme (Episode 1, Ending) adds the concept of mystery and innocence to the story. The sound mix is excellent, you can feel with your senses the desolation and the ruins because the sound boosts the ambiance and the characters actions.

The OP is very catchy, has a constant rhythm where you can see some traits of the main characters, and it has interesting lyrics. About the ED, it isn't as good as the OP but in general is a good song.

Enjoyment 9

In each episode, I expected to see answers to some mysteries, and I was waiting for what this pair would find. I wanted to follow the story. However, maybe the plot has some problems since we will not have all answers to all questions and there is no real ending that reveals us the future of this unique duo because the manga is still in progress. No matter this issue I liked how this pair acted and tried to find answers to philosophical questions such us life and death, and the reason for the existence.

Overall 9

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou was a surprise. In my case, I want to see the answers to the mysteries, I want to understand more about what happened to that desolate world and, above all, I want to see if these girls will survive the adventure in this world. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait a while for that, and I'm sure you will have similar feelings towards this magnificent story because you will see it regardless of my recommendation.